Yenka Physics

Very cool physics gadgets -- free to download for home use:
http://www.yenka.com/

Another Educational Philosophy Approach

Julie Bogart, author of Bravewriter, wrote a blog about Developing an Educational Philosophy. Interesting to see another approach:
http://blog.bravewriter.com/2009/12/09/developing-a-philosophy-of-education/

Highschool Biology Links

Part of Pearson's online companion to textbooks -- you can get the online part for $35/year even without the textbook:
http://www.masteringbio.com/

Chemistry recommendation for people who are taking biology without having had all the chemistry yet:
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Chemistry-Biology-Students-9th/dp/0805395717/

Senior Biology 1 and 2 -- a supplement for AP biology.

http://www.biozone.co.nz/Review/SB/SB-02-1.php
http://www.thebiozone.com/international.php

Online supplemental biology labs:
http://www.biologylabsonline.com/index.html


Teaching Company course, Biology:The Science of Life
http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/CourseDescLong2.aspx?cid=1500

Compilation of High School Biology Links
http://sites.google.com/site/llapbiology/links

Singapore's Biology Matters (for "O" levels in Singapore) -- with workbooks, etc.
http://www.singaporemath.com/Biology_Matters_Textbook_9_10_gr_p/matbiotb.htm
Might be worth looking into more -- has practical (expts), workbook and text. They also have Chemistry for Gr 9/10.

Digital Literacy and Education

Co-Learners wiki: Things I've learned by David Warlick
David Warlick has written 3 books about digital literacy and education. Interestingly, he lives in Raleigh -- wonder if he'd be willing to speak to a group of homeschoolers about literacy and learning in the homeschool arena?
http://davidwarlick.com/wordpress/?page_id=14

David Warlick's blog: 2 cents
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/

>We do not like to describe blogging by comparing it to a diary. But it would not be inaccurate to call this blog just that. It is a diary of my greater mind, my experiences, observations, and reflections, mixed in with the responses of an eclectic community of readers — who are often the smarter part of me.It is a conversation.I blog to learn.

I do not promise answers here. I will ask far more questions.

Many of the barriers that prevent us from modernizing our education systems come from the baggage of outdated notions about teaching, learning, curriculum, our children, and their future. Asking questions seems to be one way of probing and provoking new perceptions about what we do, why we do it, and how we might adapt within an almost constantly changing environment.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading this blog. It is not always serious and it is not always about education. It comes from a non-traditional educator who is grappling with an intensely exciting world he had no reason to expect.

Dysgraphia Links

 Bj's dysgraphia is becomimg more of an issue. Though he types very well, I may need to start figuring what to try to do to get accommodations for the SAT, etc.

Description of dysgraphia and accommodations:
http://www.ldonline.org/article/Dysgraphia_Accommodations_and_Modifications

Strategies for dealing with it:
http://www.ldonline.org/article/Strategies_for_Dealing_with_Dysgraphia

A book on Amazon: Why Johnny Can't Write (though only 3 stars -- not many highly rated books about dysgraphia!!!)

Decent description but not much "what to do about it":
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/read.dysgraphia.facts.htm


This website has a lot of sections -- I need to spend some more time on it.
http://www.peas-ink.com/ann/folio/hgse/t560/dysgraphia/inside.htm

The Year's Week 2

I need to remind myself that week 1 of each school year is always an overwhelming feeling of doom and disaster -- and that it will work out as we find our pace again -- that elusive balance between my very organized, Type A, driven attempt to try to control everything and the reality of life 24/7 with an energetic 3 yo and an often unenthusiastic, monosyllabic 13 yo. My right brained learner doesn't work to a schedule, doesn't seem to change gears from his own speed to whatever anyone else expects so... things get done but at a meandering pace. It sometimes drives me crazy!

The things that did go well this first week:

* The "Tot Trays" for Jm seem to be met with enthusiasm and excitement. I can even convince him that we need to get chores done first before uncovering the table of trays. He even asked for "school" Friday afternoon. I just boxed up and inventoried what I have for the trays and I think we've got a great selection to last for the fall (& maybe even spring!).
--> Though they don't seem to be independent work after the first week, they did provide a great selection of topics for us to talk about and handle. If I give my time to a couple hours of tot trays and stories (be ready ahead of time!), I think it will gain me a bit of time afterwards when he is fine to have some time on his own.

* Bj seems to be OK with sitting at his desk for a couple hours with head phones on and working independently this year. Most days I didn't need to redirect (on the days I was home, anyway!!!)

* Piano is still positive.

* Bj was willing to test out some different options for the year and give his opinion (No Way on the science, Yes on the history).

* I think I found a World History sequence that will work for us for the next 2 years. It's by Walch called "Focus on World History" and is a workbook type text with a summary of each section followed by some great questionnaires/worksheets that require more research to explore the topic in more detail. Similar to what I liked about Trisms in that research skills are a big part of it, but with the added benefit of making sure that the basics were covered and put into place with the summary first. It is not as Euro-centric as many of the texts, nor too wordy for my non-wordy right brainer. http://www.walch.com/product/915. If this works as well as I'm hoping, we can use the same series for American History in 10th.

Things that need to be re-thought:
Science was a disaster!!!! All my careful thought and planning about merging online video learning with an encyclopedia-type science book that seemed like it would really fit Bj will NOT work. He found it very confusing without having something in place to center the odds and ends -- and to provide the basic spine of vocabulary and terminology. Back to the drawing board as this wasn't just because it was the first day. I ended up with a text recommended by a Science Education professor at NCSU (http://www.science-house.org/middleschool/reviews/index.html)called Conceptual Physical Science published by Pearson. A new version was published with a date of 2010 (in the future!) so I got it along with a problem solving set. Part of the huge benefit to the next text is the 1 year online access to supplement the text -- videos explaining lots of the terminology, tutorials about some of the topics, etc. I really hated to go to a traditional textbook for science but I'm thinking this will be OK -- and will provide even more skills that he will need in college.

* Time for me -- I do need to bring in someone twice a week so I have time and space to give to Bj and to do the things I need to do. This is life. Considering I'll be in my 60's when my youngest graduates from highschool, this isn't a season. This really is life. What do I need, what do I want, what are my priorities, given that one of my priorities is to be homeschooling right now?

Enough ponderings for now... Week 2 really will be better -- or at least the next phase in adjustment as I try a full schedule for the week and find out how much I've overestimated Bj's capacity/interest in fulfilling that!

Free Online Classes from Carnegie Melon

Carnegie Melon also has some free online courses -- though the choices are limited and you sign up for the entire course:

https://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/

Open & Free Courses

We do not provide any certification or verification of completion. If you would like to receive credit or certification for completing the course, you need to make arrangements with your local institution. See some tips on how you can get credit.
No instructors, no credits, no charge.

Use these self-guiding materials and activities to learn at your own pace!
Find a course you are interested in and click on "Get Started". If you want to keep track of your progress, sign in or create a new account. Otherwise click on "Look inside".

Topics:
* Engineering Statics
* Statistics
* Causal and Statistical Reasoning
* Modern Biology
* Chemistry
* Economics
* French
* Logic & Proofs
* Physics
* Empirical Research Methods
* Computational Discrete Mathematics
* Visual Communication Design

Free Online Math Videos

An amazing group of free youtube videos on various math topics -- from pre-algebra all the way up through differential equations, physics, finance, economics, trig, linear programming, etc.

http://www.khanacademy.org/

From the website:
The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere.

We have 800+ videos on YouTube covering everything from basic arithmetic and algebra to differential equations, physics, and finance which have been recorded by Salman Khan. He has also developed a free, adaptive math program available here.

The entire video library is shown below. Just click on a category or video title to start learning from the Khan Academy!

Calculus | Precalculus | Trigonometry | Algebra | Finance | Pre-algebra | Arithmetic | Geometry | Physics | SAT Preparation | Probability | Linear Algebra | Differential Equations | Credit Crisis | Banking and Money | Paulson Bailout | California Standards Test: Algebra II | California Standards Test: Algebra I | California Standards Test: Geometry | Venture Capital and Capital Markets | Statistics | Geithner Plan | Current Economics

History Lesson Plans

http://www.besthistorysites.net/LessonPlans.shtml

Best of History Web Sites is an award-winning portal that contains annotated links to over 1000 history web sites as well as links to hundreds of quality K-12 history lesson plans, history teacher guides, history activities, history games, history quizzes, and more.

BOHWS has been recommended by The Chronicle of Higher Education, The National Council for the Social Studies, The British Library Net, The New York Public Library, the BBC, Princeton University, -- and many others.

Preschool Journaling

One idea for Jm is to use daily journal activities to do one page a day in a book together. One list I have is for older kids to write a paragraph but it might be fun to use some of these ideas together. For example:

September Day 1: Trace your hand. On it write your name, age, address, phone number and birthday.
Day 2: 4 sentences about September
Day 3: Draw and write what you eat for breakfast
Day 4: Write a list of words that describe fall.
Day 5: What are your favorite clothes?

These types of topics might be good discussion points and if we did them together in a book, it would be a fun memory of "3 1/2".

Here's a set of calendars of journal topics but they may be too old:
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/printables/writing.htm

SAT and ACT Accomodations

A very good article about the steps homeschoolers would need to go through to get accommodations for taking tests -- like more time...
http://learndifferently.com/SAT%20SSD.htm

Definite Summer Camp in 2010?

Chemistry and Engineering of Polymers and Fibers: A Workshop for High School Students
August
http://www.tx.ncsu.edu/departments/tecs/pcc/polymercamp/

Applications being in May!

Also, Engineering Summer Programs at NCSU for highschoolers:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/summerprograms
And a list of the workshops:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/summerprograms/workshops.html

More Learning Styles Links

Fairly simple Visual/Auditory/Kinesthetic test:
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/vak.html

Homeschool Learning Style Preference test (Visual/Auditory/Kinesthetic test -- my score was 42% Visual, 35% Auditory, 21% Kinesthetic in 2007):

http://www.howtolearn.com/lsinventory_homeschool.html

Which Side Do You Use? A test for left/right brain dominance:
http://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm
In 2009, mine was 7 right and 11 left.

Learning Styles and Personality Types:
A good description of Myers Briggs and impact on learning
http://www.wnc.edu/studentservices/counseling/styles_types

Some great diagrams and discussion about the different learning/processing areas on the left brain and right brain, differences in how women and men think, etc.
http://www.hiddentalents.org

More Preschool Options

Website with lots of good preschool sites:
http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/index.htm (Paula's Archives)
Has links for preschool as well as things to do with 3 and 4 yo's -- and some good articles about stepping back and figuring out what your priorities are for this group.

Another good article about homeschooling preschoolers (including a very cool dark to light sort of color paint cards)

http://homeschoolhighlights.com/01_preschoolers/

BBC Spanish

The BBC website has many language options -- someone on one loop I'm on was using it for a highschool language credit:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/

Virtual Homeschool group

http://www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.com/

Not sure what this is but I think it's worth checking to see how they've used the technology (including moodle).

Preschool Curriculum

A very expensive ($99 for ebook) preschool curriculum book that looks really tempting -- but, $99 for one ebook????

http://www.homeschool-your-boys.com/learnandgrowpreschoolcurriculum.html

Personality Pages

A great INFJ site:
http://www.infj.com/

And the author's husband's INTJ site which is almost as good:
http://www.intj.org/

A good description of the 16 types including whether it's Ne or Ni, etc. (cognitive processes) -- explains more.
http://www.interstrength.com/curriculum/16types.html

The Cosmic Computer

Might be a good book! Not sure where I saw it referenced.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20727/20727-h/20727-h.htm

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Cosmic Computer, by Henry Beam Piper

Conn Maxwell told them: "There are incredible things still undiscovered; most of the important installations were built in duplicate as a precaution against space attack. I know where all of them are.

"But I could find nothing, not one single word, about any giant strategic planning computer called Merlin!"

Nevertheless the leading men of the planet didn't believe him. They couldn't, for the search for Merlin had become their abiding obsession. Merlin meant everything to them: power, pleasures, and profits unlimited.

Conn had known they'd never believe him, and so he had a trick or two up his space-trained sleeve that might outwit even their fabled Cosmic Computer ... if they dared accept his challenge.

Sixty Symbols

Some very cool 3 to 5 minute videos explaining 60 symbols used in physics and astronomy. You could learn a lot just watching the videos:
http://www.sixtysymbols.com/#

Spanish for Middleschool

Some options:
Breaking the Barrier (French and Spanish)
Workbooks with grammar as the basis, also includes CD
http://www.tobreak.com/home

From HEAV Conference -- may work for whole family?
La Clase Divertida
http://funclase.com

Of course, Rosetta Stone and several others

Engineering for High School Students

Here is a great resource for engineering topics for different grades -- and some great ideas for middle/highschool. It would be very cool to do a coop of kids to explore these topics.

http://www.engineeringk12.org

Of course, lots of their resources are expensive and only work in a public school but the idea would be great -- explore different aspects of engineering over an 8 month period.

Personality Enneagram

A good resource for Enneagrams -- worth looking at more. Even has info on how 2 different types relate to each other.

http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/

Language Arts Resource

Here's a great NING for language arts -- full of teachers talking about lots of different English/LA topics. Look more at the teaching texts groups -- some good thoughts for this fall.

http://englishcompanion.ning.com

Highschool and Middleschool resources

I really need to get Barbara Shelton's Form-U-La book for designing high school classes.
http://www.homeschooloasis.com/
It's time to start collecting the right info so it's on hand for a highschool transcript.

Finding Dulcinea: LOTS of resources by theme for highschool and middleschool
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides.topic__ss_categories_ss_education.html

Preschool Themes

Soon, soon, I'm going to start thinking about Middleschool and Highschool again but for now, I'll continue to dabble in the Preschool mode...

Here's a great resource for planning themes -- each theme (including each alphabet letter) has songs, book recs, activities, science, songs, art, games on that theme or letter. We could do the typical one letter a week for the year and do all sorts of different activites.

Everything Preschool

Another cool resource is "Finding Dulcinea" -- here's the list of resources for Preschool:
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Education/Early-Childhood-Education.pg_04.html#04
But there are also lots of themes like highschool history (I'll post that separate so I can find it again!)

More Preschool Curriculum Ideas

Though I think that preschoolers really don't need an elaborate curriculum, some seasons in life require more pre-thought than others. This time around, I'm interested in doing a more directed or purposeful time with Jm each day. Not only will pre-planning help on the days when I can't think of anything fun to do with him and we're in a rut, but it also may give a bit more space that I can spend with Bj on his schoolwork.

Plan for creating preschool curriculum:
http://www.nncc.org/Curriculum/planguide.html

Very, very cool pop-up ABC folders!!!! Not sure it's worth the time and effort but might be interesting to try one or two.
http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/2023/pop-abc/index.html

8th Grade Literature

8th Grade Literature... it continues to be a challenge!!!!

Here's a booklist from the people who wrote Teaching the Classics:
http://www.centerforlit.com/booklists/booklist7th.htm

Other options:
K12 8th Grade Literary Analysis and Composition

Institute for Excellence in Writing: Windows to the World

Hewitt's Lightning Literature

Janice Campbell's Introduction to Literature

AND a list of the top classics for highschool and middleschool students to read:
1. The Three Musketeers (1844) Alexandre Dumas
10. Robinson Crusoe (1719) Daniel Defoe
100. Mutiny on the Bounty (1932) Charles Nordhoff & James Hall
101. William Tell (1804) Frederick Schiller
102. The White Company (1891) Arthur Conan Doyle
103. Men Against the Sea (1933) Charles Nordhoff & James Hall
104. Bring 'em Back Alive (1930) Frank Buck & Edward Anthony
105. From the Earth to the Moon (1870) Jules Verne
106. Buffalo Bill (1920) William F. Cody
107. King of the Khyber Rifles (1916) Talbot Mundy
108. Knights of the Round Table (1903) Howard Pyle
109. Pitcairn's Island (1939) Charles Nordhoff & James Hall
11. Don Quixote (1605) Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
110. The Speckled Band (1892) Arthur Conan Doyle
111. The Talisman (1825) Sir Walter Scott
112. Kit Carson (1873) John S.C. Abbott
113. The Forty-Five Guardsmen (1848) Alexandre Dumas
114. The Red Rover (1827) James Fenimore Cooper
115. How I Found Livingstone (1872) Henry M. Stanley
116. Robert Louis Stevenson: The Bottle Imp (1891), The Beach at Falesa (1892)
117. Captains Courageous (1897) Rudyard Kipling
118. Rob Roy (1818) Sir Walter Scott
119. Soldiers of Fortune (1897) Richard Harding Davis
12. Washington Irving: Rip Van Winkle (1819), The Headless Horseman (1819)
120. The Hurricane (1936) Charles Nordhoff & James Hall
121. Wild Bill Hickok (no author listed)
122. The Mutineers (1920) Charles Boardman Hawes
123. Fang and Claw (1935) Frank Buck
124. War of the Worlds (1898) H.G. Wells
125. The Oxbow Incident (1940) Walter Van Tilburg Clark
126. The Downfall (1892) Emile Zola
127. The King of the Mountains (1857) Edmond About
128. Macbeth (1606) William Shakespeare
129. Davy Crockett (no author listed)
13. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1883) Robert Louis Stevenson
130. Caesar's Conquests (51 B.C.) Julius Caesar
131. The Covered Wagon (1922) Emerson Hough
132. The Dark Frigate (1923) Charles Boardman Hawes
133. The Time Machine (1895) H.G. Wells
134. Romeo and Juliet (1597) William Shakespeare
135. Waterloo (1868) Emile Erckmann & Alexandre Chatrian
136. Lord Jim (1900) Joseph Conrad (Korzeniowski)
137. The Little Savage (1848) Captain Frederick Marryat
138. A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) Jules Verne
139. In the Reign of Terror (1890) G.A. Henty
14. Westward Ho! (1855) Charles Kingsley
140. On Jungle Trails (1936) Frank Bucks
141. Castle Dangerous (1831) Sir Walter Scott
142. Abraham Lincoln (1952) Benjamin Thomas
143. Kim (1901) Rudyard Kipling
144. The First Men in the Moon (1901) H.G. Wells
145. The Crisis (1901) Winston Churchill
146. With Fire and Sword (1890) Henry Sienkiewicz
147. Ben Hur (1880) Lew Wallace
148. Lafitte the Pirate (1930) Lyle Saxon
149. Off on a Comet (1878) Jules Verne
15. Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) Harriet Beecher Stowe
150. The Virginian (1902) Owen Wister
151. Won by the Sword (1899) G.A. Henty
152. Wild Animals I Have Known (1898) Ernest Thompson Seton
153. The Invisible Man (1897) H.G. Wells
154. The Conspiracy of the Pontiac (1851) Francis Parkman
155. The Lion of the North (1890) G.A. Henty
156. Conquest of Mexico (1632) Bernal Diez Del Castillo
157. Lives of the Hunted (1902) Ernest Thompson Seton
158. The Conspirators (1843) Alexandre Dumas
159. The Octopus (1901) Frank Norris
16. Gulliver's Travels (1726) Jonathan Swift
160. The Food of the Gods (1904) H.G. Wells
161. Cleopatra (1889) H. Rider Haggard
162. Robur the Conqueror (1886) Jules Verne
163. Master of the World (1904) Jules Verne
164. The Cossack Chief (1839) Nikotai Gogol
165. The Queen's Necklace (1849) Alexandre Dumas
166. Tigers and Traitors (1880) Jules Verne
167. Faust (1808/1832) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
17. The Deerslayer (1841) James Fenimore Cooper
18. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) Victor Hugo
19. Huckleberry Finn (1884) Mark Twain
2. Ivanhoe (1820) Sir Walter Scott
20. The Corsican Brothers (1845) Alexandre Dumas
21. 3 Famous Mysteries: The Sign of the Four (1890) Arthur Conan Doyle, The Flayed Hand (1880) Guy de Maupassant, Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) Edgar Allen Poe
22. The Pathfinder (1840) James Fenimore Cooper
23. Oliver Twist (1838) Charles Dickens
24. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) Mark Twain
25. Two Years Before the Mast (1840) Richard Henry Dana Jr.
26. Frankenstein (1818) Mary Shelley
27. Marco Polo (1921) Donn Byrne
28. Michael Strogoff (1876) Jules Verne
29. The Prince and the Pauper (1882) Mark Twain
3. The Count of Monte Cristo (1844) Alexandre Dumas
30. The Moonstone (1868) William Wilkie Collins
31. The Black Arrow (1888) Robert Louis Stevenson
32. Lorna Doone (1869) Richard Doddridge Blackmore
33. Sherlock Holmes Stories: A Study in Scarlet (1887) Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902) Arthur Conan Doyle
34. Mysterious Island (1874) Jules Verne
35. Last Days of Pompeii (1834) Edward Bulwer-Lytton
36. Typee (1846) Herman Melville
37. The Pioneers (1822) James Fenimore Cooper
38. The Adventures of Cellini (1562) Benvenuto Cellini
39. Jane Eyre (1847) Charlotte Bronte
4. Last of the Mohicans (1826) James Fenimore Cooper
40. Edgar Allen Poe Mysteries: Pit and the Pendulum (1845), Adventures of Hans Pfall (1845), The Fall of the House of Usher (1838)
41. Twenty Years After (1845) Alexandre Dumas
42. Swiss Family Robinson (1813) Johann Wyss
43. Great Expectations (1861) Charles Dickens
44. Mysteries of Paris (1842) Eugene Sue
45. Tom Brown's School Days (1856) Thomas Hughes
46. Kidnapped (1886) Robert Louis Stevenson
47. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870) Jules Verne
48. David Copperfield (1850) Charles Dickens
49. Alice in Wonderland (1865) Lewis Carroll (C.L. Dodgson)
5. Moby Dick (1851) Herman Melville
50. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) Mark Twain
51. The Spy (1821) James Fenimore Cooper
52. The House of the Seven Gables (1851) Nathaniel Hawthorne
53. A Christmas Carol (1843) Charles Dickens
54. The Man in the Iron Mask (1850) Alexandre Dumas
55. Silas Marner (1861) George Eliot (Marian Evans)
56. Toilers of the Sea (1866) Victor Hugo
57. The Song of Hiawatha (1855) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
58. The Prairie (1827) James Fenimore Cooper
59. Wuthering Heights (1847) Emily Bronte
6. A Tale of Two Cities (1859) Charles Dickens
60. Black Beauty (1860) Anna Sewell
61. The Woman in White (1860) William Wilkie Collins
62. Western Stories: The Luck of Roaring Camp (1870) Bret Harte, The Outcasts of Poker Flats (1870) Bret Harte
63. Man Without a Country (1863) Edward Everett Hale
64. Treasure Island (1883) Robert Louis Stevenson
65. Benjamin Franklin (1817) Benjamin Franklin
66. The Cloister and the Hearth (1861) Charles Reade
67. The Scottish Chiefs (1809) Jane Porter
68. Julius Caesar (1607) William Shakespeare
69. Around the World in Eighty Days (1873) Jules Verne
7. Robin Hood (1883) Howard Pyle
70. The Pilot (1823) James Fenimore Cooper
71. The Man Who Laughs (1869) Victor Hugo
72. The Oregon Trail (1849) Francis Parkman
73. The Black Tulip (1850) Alexandre Dumas
74. Mr. Midshipman Easy (1836) Captain Frederick Marryat
75. The Lady of the Lake (1810) Sir Walter Scott
76. The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) Anthony Hope (Hawkins)
77. The Iliad (962 B.C.) Homer
78. Joan of Arc (1801) Frederick Schiller
79. Cyrano de Bergerac (1897) Edmond Rostand
8. Arabian Nights (1704) Antony Galland
80. White Fang (1906) Jack London
81. The Odyssey (927 B.C.) Homer
82. The Master of Ballantrae (1889) Robert Louis Stevenson
83. The Jungle Book (1894) Rudyard Kipling
84. Edgar Allen Poe: The Gold Bug (1843), The Tell-Tale Heart (1845), A Cask of Amontillado (1845)
85. The Sea Wolf (1904) Jack London
86. Under Two Flags (1868) Ouida (Louisa de la Rame)
87. A Midsummer Night's Dream (185%) William Shakespeare
88. Men of Iron (1891) Howard Pyle
89. Crime and Punishment (1866) Feodor Dostoevsky
9. Les Miserables (1862) Victor Hugo
90. Green Mansions (1904) William Henry Hudson
91. The Call of the Wild (1903) Jack London
92. Henry W. Longfellow: Courtship of Miles Standish (1858), Evangeline (1847)
93. Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894) Mark Twain
94. David Balfour (1893) Robert Louis Stevenson
95. All Quiet on the Western Front (1928) Erich Maria Remarque
96. Daniel Boone (1939) John Bakeless
97. King Solomon's Mines (1885) H. Rider Heggard
98. The Red Badge of Courage (1895) Stephen Crane
99. Hamlet (1603) William Shakespeare

Learning Styles

I talk to so many people about learning styles that I need to have a permanent link to it so I don't need to re-invent my thoughts so often!

One of the HUGE benefits of homeschooling is that you can tailor your homeschooling plan to each individual student's best way to learn. Unlike a classroom where there are many children whose different learning styles need to be met (and therefore, by definition, learning has to be less efficient for at least some of those kids), by really understanding your child's style, you can find an approach that works best for him (I use “him” and “he” only because my household has many more “him/he” people in it than “her/she” type people!).

The other considerations are:

1. If learning is less challenging for your child, and if they understand better how they learn, the homeschooling process is less frustrating for both the parent and the student.


2. If you understand your child’s strengths, you can find material that best suits those strengths. However you can also focus better on strengthening his weaknesses if you deliberately choose topics/subjects that are easier for him and use that learning style in small doses.


3. It makes group learning less challenging for the student if he knows his primary learning style and knows if the group complements his/her learning style or not. My son (visual/kinesthetic/auditory) was very intimidated in a group learning situation where there were many strong auditory learners because he felt he couldn’t keep up verbally until we talked about his strengths and how his strengths were very obvious in other situations.


4. Part of developing an effective homeschooling approach is that you have to understand your learning style as well so you know what your bias is in evaluating curriculum and approaches -- and to understand how that fits with your child's primary learning style. It’s easy to be drawn to curriculum that would work for you!

Types of Learning Styles
There are many ways to look at learning styles. Some of the better-known approaches include:

• Visual, Kinesthetic, Auditory (probably the most common learning styles model – with various ways to measure it and several ways to interpret it)
  
  • For a description and free online questionnaire, go to: http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm
  
  
  • A similar breakout, but focusing on 4 pairs of learning styles like visual/verbal and visual/non-verbal with specific learning techniques that students can use is at: http://www.metamath.com/lsweb/fourls.htm


• Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
  
  • For a description and a free questionnaire including graphical results go to: http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/
  
  
  • And another easy to follow questionnaire with ways to put it in practice: http://literacyworks.org/mi/intro/index.html
  
  
• Gregorc model (Concrete/Abstract/Sequential/Random), similar to the Kolb learning styles
  
  • A good description of each of the 4 styles, what they do best, what makes sense for them, what’s hard for them, and what questions they ask when learning: http://www.csrnet.org/csrnet/articles/student-learning-styles.html


• Another learning style developed at NCSU (Felder and Silverman) uses the following styles: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global
  
  • For a description, a free questionnaire, and how to use the information in learning, go to: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Learning_Styles.html
  
  

Book Recommendations
Since I’m an Abstract/Sequential learner who is very much an information gatherer -- and primarily Visual, I like to have lots of different ways of looking at learning styles! The following books are my favorite recommendations:

Cynthia Tobias: The Way They Learn

I think this is one of the best books to start with. She takes the basic Gregorc model and looks at several different approaches to learning. She also talks about the challenges of having a parent approach learning one way and the child having a different learning style.

Cynthia Tobias also has a website that offers video training on many of these topics: http://www.applest.com/

Dawna Markov: How Your Child is Smart

This is the only book I've found that looks at learning styles and the importance/interaction of whether the style is primary, secondary or tertiary. It explains how important the tertiary level is.

Many parents automatically know this as the tertiary style is the style used to get your child’s attention most effectively. Do you automatically put your hand on your son’s shoulder when he’s out of control? (Tertiary: Kinesthetic). Do you most effectively get his attention by raising your voice or speaking directly to him? (Tertiary: Auditory).

Willis and Hodson: Discover Your Child's Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways - Here's the Key to Every Child's Learning Success

This is a good overview of several different ways of looking at learning styles, personal interests, etc.

Bottom line:
Learning styles is only one way of looking at the different approaches people use to learn and to interact with each other. Other ways to understand how people learn and interact with each other are personality styles and right brain/left brain learning. I’ll do posts on those over the next few days (hopefully!).

Preschool Activities

Trying to find ideas to put together more deliberate preschool activities for Jm next year (or this summer). I think with more planned available activities, there will be more time to help Bj.

This idea is a great basis: 6 trays filled each day with activities only available at school time. I've started a box and need to keep ideas in mind. It's kind of a mix between Preschool in a Bag and Montessori.
http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/TraysforTots.html

Some cool lapbooks:
WordWorld:
http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/word_world.pdf

HandyManny
http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/HandyMannyTotBook.html

Big Machines
http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/Big_Machines.pdf


ABC and other activities:
http://totallytots.blogspot.com/search/label/Now%20I%20Know%20my%20ABCs
http://totallytots.blogspot.com/search/label/Now%20I%20Know%20my%20ABCs

Website for Preschool activities/games:
Kindersite
http://www.kindersite.org/index.html

Mini-Offices:
http://busyteacherscafe.com/teacher_resources/mini_offices.htm#sheets

Lapbook Templates
http://www.lapbooklessons.com/
http://www.lapbooklessons.com/LapbookTemplates.html

Spanish program

Spanish; Recommended by Karen
http://www.tellmemore.com/homeschool

Let's Play Math

Let's Play Math: Lots of math info, blog, handout, rabbit trails to follow -- and a clean layout!

http://letsplaymath.wordpress.com/

Literature -- Classics

Literature is a challenge -- what to do, what to do...?

Here are a few book-specific options by the same guy who does Teaching with the Classics for IEW -- includes some middleschool options and a free unit on The Bronze Bow.

http://www.centerforlit.com/teacherguides.htm

Spanish Language

I need to start thinking about foreign language options...

Here's one that has 11 free lessons:
http://www.learnspanishtoday.com/ms_vls/index.html

Highschool Economics Resource

Economics in a box -- worth reading more about or checking out some of the resources to go with what I already have...

http://www.economicthinking.org/curriculum/EconomicsinaBox/#purchase

"Economic principles explain
• Why some societies prosper while others stay in poverty
• Why entrepreneurial businesses create jobs and produce innovative products and services
• Why so many government programs fail and government policies backfire

Much of economics flows from common sense observations and insights into everyday life. The core textbook, Common Sense Economics, is an easy to understand book that explains economic principles using everyday language and easy to understand illustrations and examples.

Economics determines much of today´s social and political landscape, and students who understand these principles will be well-positioned to play leading roles in business, government and society.
"Economics is not about things, tangible material objects; it is about men, their meaning and actions." Ludwig Von Mises"

Community college credits and transfers to NC Universities

From Kate: (thanks!)
All the WakeTech College Credit equivalencies can be found easily for each NC state school.

http://www.northcarolina.edu/content.php/assessment/reports/student_info/caa.htm

Helpful for those dual credits that we might get to in a few years!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom lapbook

A very cute lapbook for preschoolers:
http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/CHickaBoomTotBook.html

and someone's take on that idea:
http://mylapbooks.blat.co.za/

Preschool Alphabet Activity

The Active Alphabet -- I need to make some cards for J as he'd love this activity!


Spent most of the day with him practicing his alphabet on the Fisher Price keyboard attached to my laptop (tracing letters with the mouse/pen)... he's so excited that I can figure out the letter he wrote. I think he may be able to write his name before he's 3 1/2 -- unless some other interest develops before then!

http://www.universalpreschool.com/how-to/active_alphabet.asp
Use this list as it is, or come up with fun action words of your own!

* A is for Airplane — Pretend to be an airplane. Spread your arms way out at your sides and "fly" around the room. Don't forget to add sound effects too!
* B is for Bow — Show your child how to take a bow by bending from the waist.
* C is for Clap — Clap your hands together.
* D is for Dance — Put on some music and dance.
* E is for Elephant — Pretend to be an elephant by making an imaginary elephant trunk with your arm.
* F is for Frog — Jump, hop, or leap like a frog.
* G is for Grin — Smile!
* H is for High-Five — Show your child how to give a "high-five." You each raise your arm above your head, and slap your open hands together.
* I is for Itch — Pretend to scratch an itch.
* J is for Jump — Jump. (Some young children may not yet have the coordination to jump. If not, then "J" can be for Jog.)
* K is for Kick — Kick a ball or balloon or an empty box.
* L is for Laugh — Ha ha ha ha ha!
* M is for March — Show your child how to march around the house.
* N is for Nose — Point to your nose.
* O is for Open — Open and close your hands, or open a drawer or door.
* P is for Pout — Stick out your bottom lip to make a pout or look of displeasure.
* Q is for Quiet — Put your index finger in front of your lips and say, "Shh."
* R is for Run — Run around the room, run outdoors, or show your child how to run in place.
* S is for Sit or Stand — Sit down and then stand up.
* T is for Twist — Show your child how to twist their body to the right, and then to the left.
* U is for Up — Pick your child up.
* V is for Vacuum — Vacuum the floor or pretend to vacuum.
* W is for Wiggle — Wiggle your arms, legs, and body.
* X is for "X" — Make an "X" shape with your index fingers, or shape your body into the letter "X" (stand with legs set apart and arms stretched up and out)
* Y is for Yummy — Say "Yummy" while you rub your tummy.
* Z is for Zipper — Find a zipper on a piece of clothing. Zip it up and zip it down.

Unit Studies and Older Kids

We had an interesting discussion last week about why unit studies were used so much more at the younger ages than at the older ages. I've really been thinking about it since we had a marvelous time with unit studies when my 7th grader was in K-3 -- and some later on than that. However, when I look ahead to highschool, I don't automatically look at unit studies, nor do I feel that it's as important or doable.

For one, I do want a strong university-bound transcript at the end and the basics seem easier to cover with individual classes, though some lend themselves to easily be covered together such as English/Literature and History/Social Studies. However, to get enough depth to do any AP exams or SAT Subject Tests in specific areas will mean really focusing on one topic.

I think one of the other reasons is that as he gets older (& as his little brother needs more of my time), he's looking for other things -- more independence in what he's doing, information and learning from other people, etc. These lend themselves easier to outside classes on specific subjects or on purchased curriculum that covers the material.

And, from my perspective, it was great fun to put together a unit study on kings and queeens or light houses, because I knew how all the pieces fit together and I had room to be creative. As his level of understanding and learning increases, it becomes harder to create a unit study because I don't have the background to pull it together easily. It would need to be based on someone else's framework -- and there aren't many unit studies available for this age group that combine things in a manner that I feel are interesting and cover things at the appropriate level.

LEGO Engineering: From Kindergarten to College

An interesting 52 minute video from Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach

LEGO Engineering: From Kindergarten to College
For the past 10 years, Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach has been working with the LEGO Group to bring engineering into every classroom as a way to teach creativity, teamwork, and systems engineering as well as math, science, and literacy. We believe that as the world becomes more technical, and more dependent on technology, it is imperative that those who vote and who make policy understand the fundamentals of science and engineering so that they will make informed decisions on policies like developing a sustainable energy plan or reducing global warming. We do this by bringing engineering into the pre-college classroom and challenging students to design and build solutions to open-ended problems. Chris Rogers will show a number of examples from around the world of how teachers have used LEGO Robots to teach everything from how to graph to how to problem-solve. From LEGO snowplows (made by 1st graders) to automated hamburger makers (made by 13 year olds) to a LEGO robot driven by a fruit fly (made by a doctoral student), students have been excited, innovative, and very enthusiastic to learn. He will conclude by explaining how you can help affect your local school and classroom. Kids (of all ages) welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG-izyXfFHI

Blogs to Read (when I next have time!!!)

Blogs to go back and read:

Cult of done by Daniel Pink (he wrote the book about how important right brains will be in the future -- and spoke on PBS tonight -- interesting -- and what does it mean to educational objectives?
Anyway, this blog has some interesting quotes about getting things done:
http://www.danpink.com/archives/2009/03/cult-of-done

Free to have fun: Reclaiming your hobbies
Worth thinking about in this crazy pace of life we lead!
http://www.onsimplicity.net/2009/03/free-to-have-fun-reclaiming-your-hobbies/

A very cool list of blogs here that I need to check out!
20 Must Read Blogs for Married People
http://www.simplemarriage.net/20-must-read-blogs-for-married-people.html

Science Labs

Another source that might work for middle/highschool homeschool science labs:
http://www.esciencelabs.com/

The middleschool one looks interesting -- or should we just wait for now and do it all from the highschool perspective????

Separation of blogs

OK -- time to split out all the technical stuff I've been running across for me. This will remain odds and ends, a lot of homeschooling resources, organizational stuff, and just interesting things. My new blog will have all the technical links I come across as I continue to immerse myself in web/graphic design things...

The new site is:
http://webdesignbylw.blogspot.com/

Basic Shop Skills

One thing that's very difficult for suburban homeschooled students is to get basic shop skills. I wonder how one would go about finding a resource?

Here are a few links but it's definitely only the tip...
Qualification card for basic shop skills (great overview of what could be required):
http://www.eng.mu.edu/~dlc/Qualification%20Card%20for%20Basic%20Shop.pdf

This website has quite a bit of info (of course, nothing hands on!):
http://www.practicalstudent.com/index.html

And here's a review of a woodworking book:
http://eclectichomeschool.org/reviews/reviewsub.asp?subcatid=197

Here’s a wood working book with plans to follow through:
Boy Joiner and Model Maker, The
Publisher: Hope Chest Legacy
Author: E.A. Davidson
List Price: $18.00
Ages: 15-18 Years
Reviewed By: Deborah Deggs Cariker

Originally published in 1874, E.A. Davidson's "how-to" book for boys The Boy Joiner and Model Maker is an excellent choice for the boys in your life, the ones who are always putting things together (or taking them apart), and the ones who are drawing out creations to build from their imaginations. Hope Chest Legacy reprinted the treasure as a 246-page hardcover book with nearly 200 illustrations, directing your son to work with his hands, as instructed in I Thessalonians 4:11-12: "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing."

Davidson begins the 32 chapters with one on tools and how to use them. He follows with instructions on how to make several, increasingly harder, projects including bookshelves, box, dog kennel, tool chest, and writing desk. His chapter on model making is followed by directions on making intricate creations like a model railway and even a working model mill. Used as a school text for woodshop or as a guide for extra-curricular activities, this will be an exciting and challenging book for junior high and high school boys.

Sentence Diagramming

I wonder if some sentence diagramming would help with understanding grammar? Here's a great step-by-step online resource:

http://www.geocities.com/gene_moutoux/basicdiagrams.htm

The Stock Market Game

Opens February 9 -- this year or next year is the question!!!! Maybe this year has a better window? I'd need to get started!

Here are some workshops coming up:
http://www.nccee.org/workshops

The Stock Market game described:
http://www.stockmarketgame.org/teachers.shtml

Tools for Offering Online Classes

Something to look at for offering online classes -- especially at the homeschool level.

Started with ed2go, the company offering the Alice and XHTML courses.
Then...
Blackboard is what the schools use (but $9500 price tag and you do the work)

Then...
Drupal is, I think, the open source platform for online class options: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupal

Moodle is a free open source program for offering online classes -- might be an interesting way to explore http://moodle.org/

MoodleRooms takes that one step further and for a monthly/class fee, they will handle the student sign up, etc. part of the class (plus moodle tutorials): http://community.moodlerooms.com/

Sloodle takes Moodle to the 3-D level -- hmmmm.... not for me!
http://www.sloodle.org/moodle/

A more expensive version than MoodleRooms but that is infinitely more accessible than Blackbord and less expensive than ed2go is DigitalChalk: http://digitalchalk.com/

All of which includes cloud computing (which I don't really get except the cloud is a metaphor for the Internet!):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

More Web Design stuff

A very cool list of web design trends for 2009 -- worth looking at and getting some good ideas!
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/01/21/current-web-design-trends-for-2009/

For some reason I had this webdesigner marked -- but it may only be obtained through hosting sites -- not sure:
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/

A site with a lot of good HTML tutorials -- also includes JAVAscript and how to include it in your menus, etc. -- definitely something to look at!!!!
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/tut/lessons.html

TeachScheme -- for teaching java without the problems of syntax errors -- overall, the understanding of how programming works seems to be better than if C++, for example, is focused on and the students get mired in syntax errors.
http://www.teach-scheme.org/Overview/
http://plt-scheme.org/

Homeschool Support Topics

Homeschool support group leaders have some challenges. Here are some articles to go back and look at:

Homeschool CPA: When to become a 501c3
http://www.homeschoolcpa.com/resources/When%20to%20become%20501c3.pdf

Questions about EINs with new directors:
http://homeschoolcpa.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/new-ein-for-new-officers/

Finding a homeschool coop:
http://homeschoolcpa.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/finding-a-co-op/

And the Homeschool Group Leader Blog -- ways to earn money:
http://hgleaderblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/fridays-answer-exploring-10-creative.html

And a homeschool blog to check into further to see if there are any nuggest:
http://maridelwiller.com/blog/

Middleschool Science Options

Still wonder about doing a middleschool highschool overview science -- we've got a year and a half! I'd like to just do an overview to pull in some pieces that we might be missing -- but I'm not sure where it would fit in our day. Our focus right now seems to be technology, without much extra on any of the sciences or social sciences!

Here's a couple sources that came up recently:

Singapore Science -- Interactive Science for Inquiring Minds (Gr 7,8)
http://www.singaporemath.com/Secondary_Science_s/31.htm

And K12's Science program -- for middleschool, they have a regular and advanced version of Earth Science, Biology and Physics:
http://www.k12.com/curriculum_and_products/science_main/

Bj would really like some background on Microcontrollers and ways to put together basic robotics since FRC and FTC keep coming up. B's boys are working with the Thames & Kosmos kit for the Microcontroller which would be interesting to look at. Also there's some pretty "geeky" kits called "Nerd Kits" that look interesting:
http://www.nerdkits.com/kits/

Alice: Intro to Java

At Christmas, Bj told me he really wanted to learn Java -- with the only programming experience being NXT-G for LEGO's Mindstorm robot kit. I searched around and found an "Intro to Alice" class at Wake Tech's Online classes. It's put out by Carnegie Melon as a way to encourage more kids to take Computer Science -- geared toward highschool and college students as an intro to Java and programming. They have a PowerPoint presentation about it that gives some of the justification -- and explains some of the differences between Alice and Storytelling Alice.

We've just finished the first of 6 weeks of the class but Bj loves it! It gives the structure of programming but with 3-D animation at the same time so there's immediate feedback. My next task will be to figure out how to download his videos so they can be shared with friends on youtube!

CSS Links

These links to CSS info are from Lesson 1 of the Intermediate HTML/CSS 6-week online class I'm taking through Wake Tech.

Cascading Style Sheets, Level 2 Revision 1
http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/cover.html
This link takes you to the World Wide Web Consortium's official documentation for CSS Level 2.1. This is the resource that defines what CSS 2.1 is and how it works. We'll be using CSS 2.1 throughout this course.

W3C CSS 2.1 Index
http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/indexlist.html
This link takes you to the complete index for the W3C's CSS 2.1 documentation. CSS properties are generally shown in single quotation marks like 'background', 'background-attachment', and so forth.

Cultured Codes' CSS 2.1 Properties Reference
http://www.culturedcode.com/css/reference.html
Here's a reference to CSS properties without all the jargon and technical details. This one is very compact. Click a section in the left column, then a property in the second column, to see facts in the Details column.

guiStuff CSS 2.1 Reference
http://www.guistuff.com/css/
Here you'll find yet another handy reference to CSS 2.1 properties.

HTML Dog CSS Properties
http://www.htmldog.com/reference/cssproperties/
Here's another quick reference to CSS properties.

CSS 2 Reference
http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_reference.asp
You guessed it: another online reference to CSS properties. Add all these CSS 2 references to your bookmarks or favorites, and you'll never again need to guess what's available or which values work with which properties. Just pick whichever one you like best as your favorite resource.

W3C Index of Elements
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/index/elements.html
Here's a page you'll probably want to add to your bookmarks or favorites. It provides a quick index to all HTML tags. Note that items with D in the Depr (Deprecated) column, or an L or F in the DTD column are either deprecated or on their way out in XHTML. So, you should avoid using those tags in your Web pages.

W3C Index of Attributes
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/index/attributes.html
Attributes are text you put in XHTML tags, like src= in an img tag. This page provides a quick reference to all of them. Again, those with a D, L, or F in the Depr. or DTD column are deprecated and best avoided.

Conformance: Requirements and Recommendations
http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/WD-css2-19980128/conform.html
If you've ever wondered why so few Web developers seem to know about the document tree, check out this page at the W3C site. This is their official page on the matter.

12 Lessons for Those Afraid of CSS and Standards
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/12lessonsCSSandstandards
Click this link for some good advice on why making the switch from the old way of doing things to the new way is a good idea—despite the new learning curve.

Study Skills

With Bj being halfway through middle school, one of the tools I'd really like to start thinking about is how to give him the study skills or organizational skills he'll need to get through college. Putting some of that in place now, or at least being more aware of some of those skills, will hopefully make it easier down the road.

I came across this very cool website to explore further -- addressed to the kids, talks about first deciding your learning style in order to make the organization fit with who you are, then talks about different areas of organization/learning and moves on to specific topics like note-taking (Cornell format). "The Basics of Effective Learning" by Bucks County Community College.
http://www.bucks.edu/~specpop/index.htm

Robert Felder, professor emeritus at NCSU, has a lot of information on learning styles, engineering, etc. -- worth looking more at. I think he's written some articles with Linda Silverman who wrote "Upside Down Brilliance." I wonder if we could get him to speak for us?
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/RMF.html

AND, a website that compares different systems for note-taking systems that's very good. Includes Cornell method, Outlining, Mapping, Charting and Sentence methods.
http://sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/notetaking.systems.html
(They also have other study skill online information:
http://sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl.html )

New Directions on the Website Front

I'm enjoying my own new learning directions the past few months as well... I've learned a ton about programming by creating several websites.

My parents' ranch for sale in British Columbia, Canada (website to be updated to a "new and improved" version by January 10, 2009). Though I started out with the site-designer that was available through the web host, the new and improved version is being by me on Dreamweaver:
http://nechakobendranch.ca

My first project created on Dreamweaver for someone else (non-family) -- a friend whose homeschool testing business in Wake County, NC offers a great support for local homeschoolers:
http://dallenassociates.com

My biggest and most intense learning project was to figure out how all this worked so I could teach a group of middleschoolers how to create their own website for FIRST LEGO League. Nothing like teaching to make one learn things under great time pressure!
http://water4tomorrow.org

And, the very quick website I put together for the local homeschool Science Fair... It definitely showed me how much I've learned since August!!! Took very little time once I found a template.
http://caryareasciencefair.org

I'm quite amazed by the amount I've learned -- though it only takes a few things falling apart for me to realize that I'm in an overconfident bubble right now and it doesn't take much to send me back to help menu's and google searches!!!

Hoping to take a couple online Web Design classes through Wake Tech this spring to fill in a few holes.